Long Distance
by Cyndi
Summary: When you love somebody, distance doesn't matter. .o. Danceverse, OptimusxMikaela


Note: Just something cute I jotted down. This is in the Danceverse and takes place about a year after _Someone Else's Pillar_. Hope it makes you smile.

.o

**Long Distance**

.o

A deep, familiar voice spoke from Mikaela's laptop speakers. "Is my signal clear?"

Mikaela gazed at Optimus' metallic visage on the screen. The gray hangar walls, harsh fluorescent lights and glowing computer monitors of Diego Garcia served as a clinical backdrop behind him. He was standing, judging by the angle of the background.

"I see you just fine. Are we clear?"

"Yes, I see and hear you just fine," said Optimus.

"Awesome. Look, El, there's daddy!"

Mikaela sat down on the couch by the fireplace and adjusted Elita in her lap. The just-turned-two year old chewed on a piece of string cheese, and a few crumbs of it clung to her pink Minnie Mouse nightgown. She turned her head. The silver studs in her earlobes glistened.

They looked like simple earrings, but they were really tiny receivers Ratchet used to monitor her brain wave activity. Six months ago, right after Mikaela got Elita's ears pierced, he made them and informed Mikaela that epilepsy with absence seizures was a perfect cover story for Elita's episodes of drawing symbols.

"Hi!" Elita waved to the screen. "Daddy, I throw m'kiss?"

Optimus' optics tilted in his version of a smile. "Of course you can. But remember, you have to throw it west. Which way is west?"

"Umm...ah..." Elita looked at the large windows.

"Where did the sun go down, Elita?" Mikaela asked.

Elita's blue eyes gleamed. She pointed roughly towards the west. "There!"

"That's my girl," Mikaela kissed her daughter's cheek. "Throw daddy his kiss. Make sure it's a big throw, okay?"

Onscreen, Optimus turned to the left-east for him-and held his hands up like a baseball catcher. "All right, Elita. I'm ready to catch it."

Elita got down off Mikaela's lap. She touched her little hand to her mouth, kissed it and swung her arm in an arc towards the west, putting all of her strength into the motion.

"Daddy get?"

"Just a moment." Optimus shifted where he stood. "I see it now. It's coming in high. What a throw!" He raised his hands and closed them around something invisible. Then he held up one finger. "I've got it. It's right here. This is a very big kiss, Elita. Thank you."

"_You_ big," she giggled, climbing back into Mikaela's lap.

"Yes, I certainly am." He chuckled and wiped his fingertip across his mouth plates to 'deliver the kiss.' "Are you ready for mine?"

"Yes'dah!" Elita sat up straight and got her hands in position.

"All right. Here it comes." Optimus faced left, touched his palm to his mouth and swung his arm in the same arc as Elita.

Mikaela watched with amusement when Elita clapped her hands together a few moments later and rubbed them against her face.

"I got!" Elita exclaimed. She pawed at her eyes with a yawn.

"Is it past somebody's bedtime?" Optimus asked.

"Yup. It's eight-thirty." Mikaela ruffled Elita's wispy honey colored hair. "Elita? Let's move you to bed."

"D'wanna," Elita grumbled, crossing her tiny arms and shaking her head. "Daddy, I stirred." She mimed the act of stirring something in a bowl, and Optimus looked a little confused.

"We made cookies," Mikaela filled in the blank.

"Ah," Optimus leaned closer. "And did they taste good, darlin'?"

"Yes!" She grinned at the screen. Because she didn't quite have the concept that robots didn't eat human food, she went on, "Got one." She pointed to the counter behind her. "There."

It didn't bother him at all. Sometimes, he even put pieces of food in his mouth to get her to try new things. Broccoli was the latest. "Oh, you saved one for me? That's very nice of you. Now, let your mother take you to bed and I'll read you a story just like we do when I'm at home."

Mikaela silently thanked Optimus for reinforcing bedtime despite the distance. She set Elita down, got up and carried the laptop upstairs. As expected, Elita followed.

"Sorry if the webcam gets too dark," Mikaela said to Optimus.

"I understand," he answered.

She set the laptop down on the small bookshelf doubling as a nightstand.

"Into bed, sweetie," Mikaela told Elita while switching on the little bedside night light.

Pouting, Elita climbed onto her bed. She settled amongst the yellow sheets and teddy bear quilt.

Mikaela turned the laptop until the screen faced Elita. On it, Optimus held a huge hard cover book. Huge to human hands, but not much bigger than a matchbook to him. The cover depicted a painted green caterpillar with a red head and big, round eyes.

Mikaela always marveled at how he managed this at his full size. She sat off to the side, just watching.

"Elita," Optimus' blue optics glimmered, "are you ready?"

Elita curled both arms around her toy truck. She was still pouting a little. "Mmhmm."

Optimus flipped the book open on his palm. He swiped his index finger delicately across the first page to turn it and started to read.

"_'In the light of the moon, the little egg lay on a leaf. One Sunday morning, the warm sun came up and pop! Out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar...'_"

His soothing baritone voice had the desired effect. As he read the story, Elita's eyes started to blink and close.

"_'...On Saturday, he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake, and one slice of watermelon.'_" He looked right at the screen, one optic winked shut. "_'That night, he had a stomachache.'_"

Mikaela leaned back against the wall and admired Optimus' face. He was so unguarded. His eyes glowed, he smiled and he didn't seem concerned with anything but the book in his hand and the precious little girl on the other side of the webcam.

"_'The next day was Sunday again. The caterpillar ate through one nice, green leaf. And after that, he felt much better. Now he wasn't hungry anymore. But he wasn't a little caterpillar anymore. He was a big _fat _caterpillar. He built a small house called a cocoon around himself. He stayed inside for more than two weeks. Then he nibbled a hole in the cocoon, pushed his way out, and he was a beautiful butterfly.'_"

Optimus flicked the book shut. "The end."

Elita wasn't asleep yet, but she was almost there. Mikaela tucked her in and kissed her chubby little cheek. It felt as soft as a peach. She picked up the laptop and tip-toed into her own bedroom just down the hall. Once there, she let her hair down out of its ponytail and changed into the red spaghetti strap nightgown that Optimus gave her for her birthday.

"Eric Carle's stories do it every time," she mused, getting in front of the camera again and striking a cheesy pose.

"Lennox lent me the book." Optimus replied. He made an approving noise at her attire.

She relaxed on her side and propped herself up on her elbow. "I like it better than Ironhide reciting _Go the Fuck to Sleep_."

"Oh, that was my fault for letting him pick something off the internet." Optimus' expression scrunched in amusement. Then it faltered. "It's still so hard to believe he isn't with us anymore. Like Jazz and the others...there is a huge gap where he used to be."

Mikaela's face softened. She settled back against the headboard of the bed, the laptop propped up on her stomach. "Yeah, I know. How's Ratchet holding up?"

At that, Optimus briefly looked away. "He still doesn't let anyone touch the barrel."

"Still?"

"A Cybertronian mourning period can take centuries. Especially after a sudden, unexpected loss."

"Oh..." She bit her bottom lip. _And it hasn't even been a year yet_. "What about you? Ratchet isn't the only one who lost a piece of himself."

His mouth plates quirked a little. "I wasn't close to Megatron at the time. I'm...still getting used to not feeling him. Sentinel Prime...his betrayal hurts more than his loss." He blinked, his optics focusing on the screen. "Does that seem inappropriate to you?"

"They're your feelings, not m-"

"Mommy?"

Mikaela jolted up into a sitting position. Elita stood in the doorway, rubbing her eyes.

"Elita? You're supposed to be sleeping."

Elita wiped at her hair. "M'thirsty."

"Sweetie, you have a sippy cup of water by your bed."

"Nooooo, grape juice."

Onscreen, Optimus raised a brow.

Mikaela sighed to herself. "Optimus, hold that thought. I'll be right back."

He peered back. "I had bedtime duty last month. I know exactly what you're going through."

Mikaela set the laptop on the dresser and took Elita back to her room. She went downstairs, filled a sippy cup with Welch's grape juice, bounced back upstairs and offered it to the grabby toddler's hands.

Elita gulped until she was satisfied. "Ahhh."

"Are we good now?"

"Yeah." Elita laid down and held out the cup.

Mikaela drank the little bit that Elita didn't and returned to her room. _I wish kids came with instruction manuals_.

"I'm back," she said to Optimus. "Anyway, your feelings are yours, not mine. Do you still feel angry?"

He nodded, avoiding her gaze. "There are occasions where I'm angry with myself. I should have seen it coming. I should have paid closer attention. I should have _known_."

This came up nearly every time they talked. Optimus had improved a lot since he cried on her shoulder, but remnants of that pain still clung to him like a stubborn stain.

Talking to him via satellite video instead of just hearing his voice on the phone was sobering. She wished she could wrap her arms around him and hug the sorrow away.

_Baby steps,_ Mikaela reminded herself.

"Nobody knew," she told him. "He did too good a job hiding it. None of this is your fault, Optimus."

"I tell myself that all the time," he answered. "Ah, Mikaela? She's up again."

"She's-" Mikaela looked over her shoulder. "El, go to bed."

"Honey." Elita whimpered. "Sad."

"Sorry," Mikaela mouthed at the webcam. She took Elita's hand and led her back to her room. The stuffed bunny, named Honey, was white and wearing a pink and black polka dot dress. It lived on a shelf above the window. Mikaela retrieved it and placed it in bed with her sleepy daughter. She forced herself not to sound exasperated. "There you go. Honey is right here. Are you okay now?"

"Mmhmm," murmured Elita. She curled up under the covers.

"Okay." She kissed Elita's cheek and stroked her soft hair. "Now be a good girl and stay in bed."

Once again, Mikaela padded down the hall and climbed onto her king-sized bed. "She really misses having you lay down in there with her."

"I miss both of you, too." Optimus said with a hint of a smile. "As it looks now, I will be back by Saturday. Director Mearing likes to be thorough."

"You're still identifying bodies?"

He nodded. "Repair work as well, and a cover story for the ongoing construction in Chicago."

"You're the boss bot, Optimus." Mikaela grinned, her tone joking. "Can't you just cut and run?"

Her humor produced the desired result. Optimus squinted and chuckled.

"I lead the Autobots, Mikaela, but out of respect for your world I will defer to Director Mearing's authority while I'm here. The goal is to coexist. I must do what I can to keep the peace until Elita is educated enough to be our bridge."

"That's going to take a long time." Mikaela sighed. _Eighteen years, maybe more_.

"The best things in life are worth waiting for." He said, meeting her eyes through the laptop screen. "You are a perfect example."

Heat rushed to Mikaela's cheeks. "I can't wait until you're home again."

Optimus' optics darkened and his voice dropped almost an octave, "Mm, I look forward to late nights with you again."

"Stop it!" Mikaela giggled. She had no hope when he used that tone of voice on her, and he knew it. "I really miss your pot roasts. I can't cook 'em right."

"I'll make sure my meat is nice and juicy for you."

"_Optimus!_" She muffled her laughter with a pillow. "You better make it juicy."

His optics twinkled. "We best behave. Someone is out of bed again."

"Again?" Mikaela gritted her teeth. _Kid, I love you with all my heart, but please, go to sleep!_ "Elita...it's late now. Go to _bed_."

"Daddy," Elita whined.

"Elita, I'm right here. Listen to me, darlin'..." Optimus spoke, his voice calm but authoritative. "I will return soon. Go to sleep for your mother."

Her little blue eyes welled up. "Come _now!_"

Mikaela scooped Elita up into her lap again. "Daddy has work to do before he can come home."

Optimus tilted his head. His optics softened. "I'll be home very soon. You'll see _Sesame Street_ seven more times, and then I'll be home."

"Too many," the little girl countered.

"It will go by real fast." He held up seven fingers. "See? This many days is all you have to wait. I promise."

"Not wait!" Elita's face went red. "No, no, no, no!"

Mikaela braced herself for the oncoming tantrum. She wrapped her arms around Elita's shoulders and spoke firmly into her ear. "Elita, you have to go to sleep. You don't want to be tired and cranky tomorrow, do you?"

"Noooo," Elita sniffled.

_I miss the nights when a ride in Optimus' sleeper was all it took to knock you out, kiddo_...

"Come on. Say night-night to daddy. He'll come on the computer again for you tomorrow." Mikaela shot a pleading look at the laptop, and Optimus nodded silently.

"That's right, Elita. I'll be right here tomorrow." He added.

She carried the upset toddler to the bathroom. "Here, let's make tinkles first."

That suitably distracted Elita from having a tantrum. "Mommy, how you _know?_"

"I'm your mom," Mikaela smiled down at her. She helped Elita lower her Pull-Ups and sat her on the potty chair next to the big toilet.

But Elita knew taking as long as possible meant she got to stay up longer, so she kicked her little feet and sang _Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star_ at the top of her lungs.

Her patience wearing thin, Mikaela said, "Elita. Go potty, please. Just like a big girl."

Finally, she heard noises that told her Elita was using the potty chair.

"All done!" Elita announced.

Mikaela helped her daughter clean up, guided her through washing her hands and led her back to her bed.

"Okay, now, you need to go to sleep."

"I color."

"No, it's time to sleep."

The child yawned, "No tired."

Mikaela lifted Elita onto her bed and let her sit down. "Try laying down with your eyes closed. Can you do that for me?"

Nodding, Elita laid herself down, letting Mikaela tuck her in.

_Aye, yi, yi!_ Mikaela returned to her room. She saw Optimus talking to someone off-screen at his right, so she sat back and waited.

"The Wreckers will need supplies to complete reconstruction. I would gladly transport it myself if you require more hands in the city."

"No, I need you here until the end of the week. I'll have more piping and steel ordered." A woman's voice cut in, sharp and clear. "Tell them to hurry it up. I can't keep our 'military-drones-gone-haywire' cover story going for long. An entire city can't be kept quiet. Not even signed agreements guarantee this stays out of the tabloids."

He said, "Tabloids are known to be full of 'baloney,' as you call it."

"It isn't only tabloids." Papers shook in the background. "See this? It took me weeks to get a cease and desist order on that _Real Effin' Deal_ website, and I'm still going after _Giant Effing Robots_. I want those Wreckers done and out of Chicago before August. Can they get the job done by then?"

Something devilish came over Optimus' expression when he noticed Mikaela watching. His lip plates quirked. He stood up straight, gave a formal salute and said, "Yes, Ma'am, they can."

"_Don't_ call me ma'am. Dismissed."

Footsteps walked right past the webcam. Optimus visibly relaxed once they faded.

"Wow," was all Mikaela could say to that.

"_That_ was Director Mearing."

"So, how hard do you have to pull to get the stick out of _her_ ass?"

"Quite hard, I imagine. However, all kidding aside, Director Mearning is goal-oriented and she knows how to get the job done. I respect that about her. She has the presence required to be a leader. I prefer her over Galloway, but that is neither here nor there." Optimus came closer to the webcam. "Were you able to get Elita to sleep?"

"I don't know about sleep," Mikaela ran her fingers through her hair. "But I think she'll stay in bed for the night." She tapped on the touchpad so the screen saver wouldn't come on. "Is Mearing going to keep you more than a week?"

He shook his head. "No, I'll be back at the cabin on Saturday morning."

Mikaela smiled. "Good. Elita did another paper full of symbols yesterday. I don't think she knows what she's drawing. She might make another one tonight before she goes to sleep. She usually does when she says she wants to color, but I don't want to go in there now if she's finally asleep. I'll look in the morning."

"Mm, I see. Is yesterday's artwork dated and filed?"

"Yup." She used her toes to jostle the metal safe under the bed. A manila folder containing Elita's scribbles and crude drawings, each one dated in chronological order, lay concealed inside. "Let Ratchet know he should check her EEG later."

"Thank you, I will." He glanced over his shoulder to politely acknowledge a soldier moving across the catwalk behind him. Then his attention returned to the webcam. "She may transcribe everything written on the Cube by the time she reaches full maturity."

"That's scary. What if it fries her brain?"

Optimus shook his head and closed his optics. "No. Ratchet's scans indicate the information is coming to her as her brain grows." He smiled. "Humans only use about ten percent of their brains, so she has plenty of room to hold the extra data. I have no doubts she'll be able to learn Cybertronian when she's old enough to fully grasp language. Neuroplasticity is a wonderful thing."

"Yeah, it is. Aren't your CPU's similar to our brains?"

"Yes, technically they are." He simulated a sigh and looked into the camera again. Even from the other side of the world, his gaze penetrated her soul. "You're always on my mind, Mikaela."

She felt her heart skip a beat. "You, too."

That won another quick smile from him. "So, did you get the job at Joe's Garage?"

"Oh!" Mikaela grinned, rubbing her hands together. "Yes, but I don't start until the end of the month. I'll be a regular grease monkey. Good pay and benefits, too. I'll save up enough on my own to go back to school. Your card will do fine just paying for the cabin. I can do the rest on my own."

"Congratulations," he replied. "And if that is what you want, I will abide by it."

"Thanks. The funniest thing about the shop...Elita can name a few engine parts already."

"Really?" Optimus' optics lit up. "I look forward to seeing that when I'm home again. Speaking of home...don't move."

He bent out of view and straightened again, pulling a tarp off a piece of burnt metal the size of a small car. Silver and gray shone through the scorch marks. She didn't miss how he handled it like something fragile. The same way he held Elita. His optics dimmed. "This came off Cybertron when it nearly touched the Earth. I found it in a crater in Chicago. It may be the only piece of my planet left."

"I'm sorry, Optimus. Are you going to bring that to the cabin with you?"

His eyelids blinked slowly, his face shifting into a small smile. "No. I'm going to place it with Sentinel and Megatron."

Mikaela wiped away unbidden tears before they fell. She swallowed over the lump in her throat. "I think they'd like that."

"Me, too." Optimus said. He covered the piece of Cybertron and bent to set it down. Straightening again, he smiled more openly at her. "_Home_ is where the heart is, or the Spark-and that means _my_ home is wherever you are."

She felt like her heart was swelling. Her voice cracked when it hit her how much she truly missed him. "Ditto, Optimus...so get back here when you can and make this cabin feel like _home_ again."

"Next Saturday-you can count on it. Ah...Lennox is on the line and I need to debrief him, so I'm afraid I must disconnect."

"Oh, I understand." Mikaela sat up straight. It was rare that they got to talk this long at all between military debriefings and dealing with a toddler. "Chat again tomorrow?"

"Definitely." He focused on her, and only her, as if nothing else happening in the background mattered to him. "I love you, Mikaela...and I will see you soon."

Mikaela blew her screen a kiss. "I love you too, Optimus."

To her delight, he mirrored her gesture and winked. The screen went dark a moment later, leaving her with a pounding heart. Optimus always made her feel loved.

She had just put her laptop away when tiny footsteps pattered into the hall.

_Argh_...

"Mommy? Cookie?"

.o

END


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